Boots To The Ground
by Veritas1995
Summary: AU. When your boots are to the ground, you see things that no one else anywhere else can see. Rated T because Star Wars can get pretty intense at times.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. (It's Disney's property.) If I did, then there would be no need for Episodes 4-6.**

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**Boots To The Ground: **_**Star Wars**_**- Chapter 1: Into The Storm**

My name is Bradley Cude.

People sometimes have the strangest stories to tell. Somehow, I think I could beat out all of them.

The story I'm about to tell is a memory, a recollection of an event that by all accounts, is _impossible_. This event was followed by a series of events that changed the lives of a _lot _of people- most of whom I'd never meet.

It's easy to know where to begin- the beginning usually helps- but it's a little hard to word what happened without coming off as a complete lunatic.

But, here goes.

I like to travel. I've been traveling since I was a little kid. I've flown on an airplane more times than I can count. I've been on road trips that cross half the country.

But I've never had a trip like this.

It was actually a nice Spring day when what I will call "the event" happened. I say "actually" because where I live, pleasant days don't come very often- between the rain and heat in the summer, and the just-barely-above-freezing temps of the winter, many of the 365-ish days in the calendar are taken. Most of the days remaining are cool, but windy. The remaining days (which aren't very many) are actually pleasant. This was one of those days.

I was out trekking through the woods behind a friend of mine's house. (I'll leave my friend's name out; he didn't join me on the trip.) My friend and I were looking for a section of barbed wire fence that needed repairing. Repairing the fence wasn't the hard part (all you really needed to do was watch out for the wire- that stuff is sharp.) The hard part was _finding _the dang section of fence to fix.

We eventually found the section, fixed it, and were heading back home. We were in a hurry to get home because it had taken so long to do the job, that the sun was going down by the time we finished. We jogged through the overgrowth and trees. I followed my friend because he knew these woods like the back of his hands. I didn't. I _still _don't.

"You doing okay back there? You need a rest?" he asked.

"Yeah, I could- use one to- catch my breath," I replied. I'm not out of shape, but I had asthma growing up. Even now I have to breathe a little hard after doing a lot of strenuous activity.

We stopped- but my friend couldn't see me. "Where are you, Brad?"

"I'm right here," I answered, popping up on his right side. "Wearing an all-black outfit was a _really great _idea," I continued, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"Geez! Brad, you scared me, man."

"Yeah, I do that I lot." I actually do. I don't like announcing my presence; I'm more of the person that can get the job done if they're left alone long enough to do it. "You know where we are?"

"I think so- what is that?" he said, pointing.

I followed his pointing, although I didn't need to. A bluish-white light emanated from the ground about 25 feet away from where we stood.

"I'll check it out," I said. "I'll be right back."

I walked over to where the light was coming from. The light formed a ring around a patch of ground. It looked solid enough. However, the second I stepped onto it, the thing caved in- and I fell into the light.

My last thought before I blacked out was, _'I'll be right back.' Famous last words. _

Author's Note: I don't like it when people do Mary Sues (re: insert themselves into a story), but I like the concept. Also, I probably won't be replying to any reviews. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2- Crashing The Party

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Star Wars.**

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**Chapter 2: Crashing The Party**

I woke up in an alley.

It wasn't a typical alley; it was too wide, making it look more like a path that was between two buildings. There weren't any dumpsters (that I could see).

I picked myself up off the ground, dusted myself off, and thought: _Where the heck am I? _I stumbled out of the alleyway a little bit, and saw what looked like cars driving down the street- cars that had no wheels. _Oh please tell me this isn't the future; I'm not Captain America._ I saw someone manning a booth of some kind nearby. _He could tell me where I'm at_. I made my way over.

"Excuse me," I asked, "But I'm a little lost. Where am I?"

The man had had his back turned to me when I walked up. He turned around when he heard me.

"You don't remember, son?"

"Remember what?"

"Yer in Theed, son! And yer in luck; teday they're crownin' a new Queen!"

_Ooookay… and Theed is WHERE exactly? _"I'm sorry, but I wasn't paying attention to the signs coming in; where is Theed?"

"Geez, kid, ya really shoulda paid more attention in Galactic Geography. Yer on Naboo! Theed's the capital city."

_WHAT?! _Shock rippled through my body. It made its way into my voice. "Do- do you have anything about the coronation?"

"Yessir, right here! Freebie!" And he handed me something that looked like a USB drive. _Crud, I don't have my laptop here to plugin_. "Thanks."

I took the USB-ish thing, rounded the corner, and sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. _Well, I've never heard of anywhere on Earth named Naboo, so I'm either in another dimension, or on another planet. Either way, home is __**very**__ far away._

But, I found a bright spot to all this: _I've just one-upped Neil Armstrong_. _Wait a minute… if I'm on another planet, then __**how**__ are there humans on __**this**__ planet too? _

I'm the kind of person that doesn't do confused. But I was confused. Eventually, however, a plan began to form in my head.

_Okay, first thing I need to do: find a place to stay. A homeless shelter will work nicely. Next: Find a job. Third: Find a way home. It could be worse; this planet could have been a dead world._

My musings were interrupted when another human tapped me on the shoulder. He had a badge of some sort, so I assumed he was a cop of some sort. I was right.

"Son, you know there's a law against begging in the streets, don't you?"

"I kind of figured that," I replied. "I'm actually not begging, though; I'm just trying to sort some things out in my head. I actually didn't intend to come here, but I'm glad I did; this is a beautiful planet."

"Oh- sorry to have bothered you. And yes, it _is _a nice world. I can't think of many other places to live."

"Nah, it's fine," I answered. Then a thought occurred to me. If there was a coronation, then there'd be a big turnout, not to mention security to handle all those people. That meant there'd be cops. Cops like him. This guy could help me find someone. "I'd heard there's a coronation happening today. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes sir, sure do." Then he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but my daughter's getting crowned."

"Wow. Congratulations, sir. You must be very proud."

"More than you know, son. My name's Ruwee, by the way. Ruwee Naberrie."

"My name's Bradley Cude. You can call me Brad; everyone I know does."

"Then call me Ruwee. Come on, I'll get you a front-row seat."

_Front-row seat to a coronation? Heck yes! _"Sounds good, Ruwee. Let's go!"

As we walked, I asked Ruwee a lot of questions about Naboo. Apparently, Naboo used to be ruled by a monarchy prior to switching to democratic rule. However, the people wanted to keep the glitz and glamour of the monarchy, so they just elected their Queen or King.

This latest Queen was named Amidala. Ruwee explained that Amidala was merely just an alias; Amidala's real name was Padme. Who was 14 years old. _Geez, that's young! She's going to go far._

We rounded a corner, coming into Theed's Central Plaza. It looked like a parade ground for troops (even though Ruwee had explained in great detail why Naboo had no standing army.)

Ruwee smirked. "We're here, Brad."

I looked out to the plaza. Lined up on either side of the plaza were a lot of chairs. They were split into two sections, thus creating a single aisle right down the middle of the square. A staircase at the far end led to a small group of (mostly) humans.

We stopped at a security station. Ruwee vouched for me, and we passed without being searched. Which was really lucky on my part, because I was carrying my keys and two pocket knives (I like having a spare) in my pocket.

As I followed Ruwee to his front row seat, I glanced at those who were already seated. Just about everyone in the audience looked nicely dressed. I looked at my own attire- an untucked black T-shirt, dark-blue jeans, black shoes, and a black belt under the shirt. _I am __**so **__underdressed._

Before Ruwee could comment on the coronation, trumpets blared and the royal procession began. Various royal officials and what Ruwee would later call handmaidens (the Queen's servants) slowly walked by. Then came Amidala herself.

Amidala looked a little weird, but I could understand. I'd want to look different if I were hiding my true identity too. Her face was covered in white face paint, with two red dots on either cheek and a small red stripe on her lower lip. Amidala's face was devoid of almost all expression- but her brown eyes gave away her excitement.

Again, I could understand- who wouldn't be excited if they were about to be given the power to rule an entire planet?

Apparently, someone wasn't in a party mood. As Amidala made her way down the aisle, one of the men from farther up in the procession (who'd already taken his position) burst toward Amidala, unsheathing a sword as he went. He looked to be making a beeline for the soon-to-be-monarch. Ruwee (who was one seat farther from the aisle than I was) had moved to tackle the swordsman. I'd moved too- and before I could register it, I'd tackled Amidala and was rolling off to one side.

_Oh, this is bad. I have no good feelings about this at all. _

After rolling a few times, I got off Amidala and helped her to her feet. Ruwee had managed to subdue the crazy guy, his sword laying on the ground a few feet away. I picked up the sword, and marveled briefly at how nice it looked. The thing was some kind of ceremonial sword- more for looking nice than stabbing someone. _Who the heck would use this as a murder weapon? _

I handed the sword to Amidala, who took it. "Milady, you might need this."

"Thank you, young man," Amidala replied, with an almost bland voice. _I'd love to see who's under all that face paint_.

After that incident, the coronation went off without a hitch. But as Amidala descended the steps, she seemed to look right at me. When she got to the bottom of the steps, she spoke again, in a voice that wasn't quite a monotone, giving it a unique accent.

"Citizens of Naboo," she began, "as my first act as Queen, I would like to knight the young man who saved my life."

_HOLY- _I was shocked. I could barely register my surroundings as I turned and stepped out into the aisle, and bowed on one knee before Queen Amidala.

"What is your name, citizen?"

"My name, Your Highness, is Bradley Cude."

"By the power invested in me by the people of Naboo, I knight thee Lord High Protector… Cude."

Amidala then air-tapped my shoulders and the top of my head with the very sword that, minutes before, almost ended her life. The irony wasn't lost on anyone.

It was then that Amidala left the way she had come. I, however, had the distinct feeling that my life had changed.

_This… is… insane. This is awesome._


	3. Chapter 3- Stranded

A/N: I do not own the idea of Lord High Protector. Shout out to REV10245, who came up with the idea of Lord High Protector. Nor do I own _A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court._

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**Boots To The Ground- **_**Star Wars**_** Chapter 3: A Stranded Earthling In Queen Amidala's Court**

Apparently, "Lord High Protector" wasn't just a fancy title.

My first hint was when one of the people in Amidala's train of advisors motioned to an empty slot in the procession. With a glance back at Ruwee (who looked oddly pleased), I joined the march back to the Palace.

The place was a work of art. The thing looked like it could blend right in on the Mediterranean coast. It was round, maybe 10 stories high, with aqua-colored domes and statues of previous rulers situated throughout. Many buildings that I see are more utilitarian, meaning that they're meant to get the job done. These guys built the Palace to serve a purpose, and look good doing it.

The train made its way to the top floor, where the Throne Room was located. There, in the middle of the room, was a number of chairs placed in a U-shape, with the throne placed in the exact middle.

Everyone took their seats except me. My second hint that something was happening was that the chair on Amidala's right was empty- and everyone kept glancing to the chair, to me, and back again. Amidala still carried the Lord High Protector's sword.

"Lord Cude," she began, the regal monotone back in full force, "you seem… confused. What is the matter?"

"Your Highness, I do not know why I am here."

"You are Lord High Protector, milord. As such, you have been given a seat in my court, as all who have come before you have been."

And that was when it hit me: _Oh dear. _

"So, I am a member of this court?"

"Yes, milord," another member of the court replied. "You are. Welcome to the club."

Everyone in the room chuckled as I made my way to my new seat, still shocked from the turn my day had taken. As I made my way, Amidala stood up and handed me my new sword. I held onto it for the rest of the day.

Court was in session to take care of the lingering formalities of the transition from King Veruna's rule to Queen Amidala's. I said very little throughout, mainly because I was too stunned to give input, and I had no idea what to do.

Court adjourned several hours later. By then, I was dog-tired. It had been nighttime when I'd gone missing. It had been morning on Naboo when I arrived, and it was nightfall by the time I'd gotten to my quarters in the palace. (I'd asked to stay there in order to be close by if a situation broke out.)

My quarters were huge. The closet itself would take up my old room. On one wall was a desk, complete with a computer and several devices resembling iPads. On the desk was a handwritten note:

_Welcome to Naboo. You might find these datapads helpful in adjusting. The top one is all about the Lord High Protector._

I dug into the datapads, and read until I was asleep. I'm a fast reader, so I was through one 'pad and was rolling through a second when I fell asleep. I learned a great deal about Naboo and my new job.

See, the Lord High Protector was basically the bodyguard for the reigning monarch. His sword (called a _vibroblade_) was the symbol of his office.

But that wasn't all: the Protector was also a _very _powerful voice in the Naboo Royal Court. Even though Naboo is a democracy, it's a democracy merged with the glamour of the monarchy. Which means that while the people elect the King (or Queen), said ruler chooses their subordinates. The Lord High Protector just happens to be one of those subordinates.

On top of that, the Lord High Protector is charged with command of the Naboo military. (Well, _was_; Naboo didn't have an army for me to lead.)

Adding to that, it so happened that the previous Lord High Protector was the guy that had tried to skewer Amidala at her own coronation. When he did so, the Protector abused the power of his office, thereby automatically _removing _him from the post.

Amidala thus needed a replacement. Who better than the man that saved her life?

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The month after the coronation was a very busy time for me.

When Court wasn't in session, I was either familiarizing myself with Naboo tech and history, or getting schooled in piloting, hand-to-hand combat, or swordfighting. I even learnt a useful piece of info: Padme liked to switch out with Sabe, one of the Handmaidens (and a close friend), in the role of Amidala.

Once I'd figured it out, I told them that that was a nice practical joke.

I found out very quickly that it was actually _very _practical.

About two weeks into my job, Amidala received word that the Trade Federation had had a bone to pick with Veruna that they needed to settle with Amidala.

It seemed that Veruna, being the corrupt idiot that he was, had ticked off the Trade Federation. They were a group of worlds that, as their name implies, controlled much of the galaxy's trade. (I wasn't surprised to hear this; several weeks before, I learned about the Galactic Republic while applying for citizenship.)

Veruna had gotten into a dispute over trade and taxes with these guys, who were coming to Naboo to, as they claimed, "settle the dispute." Amidala expressed hope that it would be a peaceful conference. I wasn't so sure.

From the research that I'd done, I'd found that the Trade Federation was controlled by a race known as the Nemoidians, humanoids who were hereditary cowards. That in and of itself was disturbing. If they were cowards, then why were they taking the initiative to settle up with us?

What's more, Naboo society was slightly female-dominant. Nemoidian culture was heavily male-dominant. Historically, the two do not mix well.

My fears were confirmed a month to the day after the coronation, when the Trade Federation showed up. They didn't come in a diplomatic vessel. They didn't even come in _one _ship at all. They came in a _fleet_- and surrounded the planet. Naboo was cut off from the rest of the galaxy.

Court was in session when we received word of the blockade and that the head of the Trade Federation, Viceroy Nute Gunray, wanted to speak with us.

Amidala turned to me. "Should we accept their request to talk?"

"Why not?" I asked in reply. "It's not like we have any other options."

Amidala then opened up a channel to Gunray. The guy was ugly. (Then again, Nemoidians thought humans were ugly, so that wasn't new.) Gunray's skin made him look like a reptile, while his red eyes looked upon the Court with disdain.

"Queen Amidala," he began, "We have come to discuss the unfortunate predicament you find yourself in."

_Oh joy, _I thought. _He's full of himself._

Amidala neutrally responded, in the royal monotone that I was still not completely used to, "I understand, Viceroy. But first, pull your fleet out of Naboo space."

"Why?" Gunray laughed. "You are pacifists; you have no weapons. You do not have the capability to blow my fleet out of the sky."

_He has a point,_ I thought. _We don't have any military at all_.

"Therefore, I expect the Naboo to sign a treaty with us that will allow us to… operate… on Naboo soil."

_Wait, what?_ I looked over to Amidala; while her face remained neutral, there was just a hint of shock and- fear?- in her eyes.

"I will be generous and give you a week to decide." And with that, Gunray closed the channel.

Silence reigned for several seconds. Then, Sio Bibble, an aging man who likely had never been afraid in his life, spoke up. "Well, that went well, your Highness."

"What's our next move?" An advisor asked.

"We make contact with the Republic," Amidala replied. She then turned to one of the Handmaidens. "Call Chancellor Valorum. Inform him as to our plight."

"What good will that do us?" I asked. "Unless the Republic can call up an army and navy in a week, we're screwed."

"True," Amidala said, "but you must not have heard of the Jedi."

"You mean the order of super-secret telekinetic telepaths that carry around swords that can slice through almost anything?" I replied. "Then yes, I have."

That caused everyone in the room to burst out laughing. We all hoped that the Jedi could solve this crisis.

Oh, how wrong we were.


	4. Chapter 4- Leaving Eden

**A/N: I still don't own _Star Wars_. By the way, I do _not_apologize for Jar Jar Binks' OOCness. Seriously, no one could be that clumsy in real life without dying very quickly.**

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**Boots To The Ground: **_**Star Wars, **_**Chapter 4- Leaving Eden**

The Jedi are apparently horrible ambassadors.

Two days after the blockade began, communications were cut off. Luckily, one of Amidala's handmaidens had been able to reach Supreme Chancellor Valorum, who promised to send two Jedi ASAP.

Two days after the comms went down, the invasion began.

Naboo had no standing army. Which was really a bad idea, since Gunray sent an army of battle droids. Their voices were appalling; even Amidala's royal monotone wasn't as bad.

Even worse, everyone on Naboo's surface was being placed into what were basically concentration camps. Luckily, the Gungan race (which I'd never seen, due to the fact that they and the Naboo were not on speaking terms) was hidden underwater. It was only a matter of time, though, before their luck ran out.

As we were being escorted out, I looked around nervously. Everyone, even Amidala, (who I was pretty sure was Sabe) had that same expression.

Then salvation (in the form of the Jedi) dropped from a bridge.

The two Jedi, humans in their brown-and-beige uniforms, turned on their lightsabers and introduced our escort to their business ends. All ten droids were down and out before I could grab my sword (which was safely hidden under the long black trenchcoat I wore. Underneath that was some pretty tough battle armor. The trenchcoat also hid the blasters strapped to each of my sides. (For whatever reason, the droids didn't look for them.)

Amidala was browbeating the Jedi. "Your negotiations seem to have failed."

"The negotiations never took place," one of the Jedi (who looked to be the senior officer) replied.

It was then that I got a good look at the two Jedi. The one who spoke was old, probably 50-60 years old. His hair was once brown, but was now predominantly gray. He had a small beard and mustache.

His companion, on the other hand, was young. He looked not too much older than me. He had brownish-red hair, was clean-shaven, and had an odd-looking braid tucked behind his right ear. From what research I'd done, that braid was the marker for a Jedi apprentice, called a Padawan.

Their names were Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, respectively.

There was also a third member of their party- a Gungan. Normally, the Naboo would look in disgust upon them, but since there were bigger problems than bad neighbors, (i.e. planetary occupation), this guy could show his face, no problem.

It also helped that he'd spotted (and destroyed) a sniper that was trained on the group. We'd seen him drop from the bridge with the Jedi, only to backflip up onto the bridge, and take out the droid that had just gotten into position. He joined the group after disposing of it and stealing its gun.

"Heyo," he said. "Meesa Jar Jar Binks."

His voice was even weirder than Amidala's accent. However, it wasn't too hard to interpret his speech.

With all the pleasantries out of the way, the group made its way to the hangar. We moved quickly, so as not to attract attention. Even so, there were a few battle droids that met their ends at the Jedi's lightsabers. A few more went down with some shots from Jar Jar.

It took us a lot less time than I thought it would to reach the hangar with the Royal Cruiser. At the entrance, the group stopped.

Qui-Gon spoke up, addressing Amidala. "Your Highness, it is imperative that you go to Coruscant to bring this before the Senate."

Sio Bibble agreed. Amidala wasn't so sure. She turned to her handmaidens. "This venture presents great risk to all of us…"

While the Jedi looked confused, one of the handmaidens replied, "we are brave, your Highness."

Right then I knew: Sabe was playing Queen. While Padme and Sabe knew each other really well, neither had faced a full-scale invasion before. Sabe would often glance to the handmaidens when she was Amidala, trying to get advice from Padme. They apparently had some sort of system going, because it worked really well.

But I digress. Back to the action.

The handmaiden's one line settled it. "I'm going," Amidala replied.

"Okay then," I said. "Qui-Gon, you and I have point. Padme, Yane, you're coming with us. Jar Jar, you and Obi-Wan cover our sides. Panaka, cover our rear. Governor Bibble- keep your head down. We _will _be back, I promise- and _we will free Naboo_."

With that, the group split up. It was actually really easy to get on board and take off. However, getting into hyperspace was going to be the hard part. Unless a miracle occurred and the Trade guys just packed up and left, the blockade should still be there.

Guess what? Because Murphy's Law was apparently taking over, the fleet was still there. Luckily, the Royal Cruiser was moving at a pretty fast clip. Everyone, for their own protection, was strapped in.

The cruiser pilots deserved a medal for their skills. We managed to get halfway around the blockade before the shooting started. The shields the ship had held for a while, but then a lucky hit caused the lights to flicker.

We later found out that the shot had damaged the hyperdrive. A repair crew of five astromechs had gone out to repair the damage; one returned. The little blue guy was designated R2-D2.

We'd begun settling back in. I was heading back to my seat when I overheard a conversation in the cockpit.

"The hyperdrive's leaking," one of the pilots was saying. "We need to set down somewhere for repairs."

"What's the closest system?" a second voice, Qui-Gon, asked.

"Tatooine," was the reply from the navigator.

"Then set course for Tatooine."

"But sir, it's controlled by the Hutts! If they find out the Queen is hiding there-"

"It won't matter," Qui-Gon interrupted. "The Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us the advantage."

"The advantage how, _Master _Jinn?" I asked, stepping into the room. My voice was oozing sarcasm. "We're going to a world criminals use as a playground; a _Queen_ would be easy bait- it wouldn't matter if there were a hundred men protecting her or _just one_."

"The Trade Federation has no presence on Tatooine," Jinn replied. "Relax, young one; I know what I'm doing."

"I certainly _hope _you do."

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It took a couple of hours for us to reach Tatooine. If any world could contrast Naboo, Tatooine would be at the top of the list. There were no visible bodies of water (though I was told the water was underground). The entire planet was brown, as opposed to the mix of blue and green of Naboo.

What made Tatooine so unique was that it orbited two stars. Unfortunately, that uniqueness made it _really _hot, to the point of almost unbearable.

We touched down just outside of a small city. Qui-Gon suggested that the Queen stay on the ship, and ordered Jar Jar and Artoo to go with him. Obi-Wan was to stay on board, just in case.

As Qui-Gon and his crew left, Padme bolted down the ramp, Panaka hot on her heels. I took off after them, somehow ignoring Tatooine's heat and its slightly different gravity.

_Geez_, I thought. _Someone's happy to get out. I better make sure she doesn't get herself killed; the Naberries would kill me_!

All this went through my head as I ran after Padme. I caught up to them just in time to hear Qui-Gon agree to let Padme accompany them. I volunteered to go with, but Qui-Gon (again) had other ideas.

"You're Naboo's Lord High Protector, yes?" he asked.

"I am."

"Your job is to protect the Queen, yes?"

"Affirmative," I replied, wary. _I don't like where this is going_.

"Then stay on the ship with Amidala," he said, his tone saying "Don't argue with me."

"All due respect, sir, but that's exactly what I'm going to do. If Padme goes by herself, she would be easy prey for slavers and other filth that like to drop by here. If I came with you, I could make it look like Padme and I are in a relationship. In many cultures, a couple in public usually means hands off."

Qui-Gon looked confused, but sighed, relenting. "Alright, fine." I could hear him saying to himself, _kids these days_.

I grinned. "Well, milady," I said, turning to Padme with a slightly dramatic air, "shall we explore this strange new world?"

"Yes, we may," Padme replied, obviously amused. She turned serious, though. "Surely Master Jinn knows about, you know-"

"I don't think he does," I replied. "He's obviously confused, but seeing that he left his apprentice behind, I think he thinks that she'll be fine."

"Hmmm," was all Padme said in reply. Then she sighed. "It's hot out here, isn't it?"

"It is, but I'm slightly used to it. I lived out in the desert for four years. It gets pretty hot during the day, but the desert can't hold the heat in, so at night it cools down significantly."

"Well, that's a relief. But it really doesn't help that there's two suns in the sky."

"No, it doesn't. But it makes for some sweet dusks and dawns."

We trudged the rest of the way in silence. Little did we know how crazy things would get.


	5. Chapter 5- Making Friends and Plans

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. Life got in the way.**

**Still don't own _Star Wars_. If I did, Jar Jar would be dead.**

**Boots To The Ground- Star Wars, Chapter 5- Making Friends and Making Plans**

Life is just a series of curveballs. Some you catch, others you don't.

Our little group trudged through town, looking for the equivalent of an Auto-Zone. Qui-Gon seemed to know where he was going, as he suddenly pulled up at a small shop. We stepped inside, more to get out of the heat and sandy air than anything else.

A small little alien greeted us. Picture a bumblebee, just with blue skin and no stinger, humanish features, and a cigar in his mouth.

You good?

"Hey, what can I do for yas," He asked. "My name is Watto."

I let Qui-Gon take the lead on this one. He may have been a little idiotic, but he was three times my age, and you see a lot in that many years. As Qui-Gon and Watto went out back to see if they had the part they needed, the latter hollered for someone to watch the shop while he was busy.

"Ani!" He yelled. "Get your lazy butt in here!"

"Coming!" was the just as loud reply.

Ani walked in then. He turned out to be a teenager, no older than I was, maybe two years younger. He and I could have passed as siblings, given the near-equal height, dirty-blond hair and blue eyes. The only differences were that he had more of a tan than I did, and his eyes were noticeably lighter than mine.

Plus, Padme couldn't stop staring at the newcomer, and vice versa.

_Oh joy_, I thought. _Love at first sight_.

Ani snapped out of it after a few seconds. "Oh, hi," he said sheepishly. "My name is Anakin Skywalker."

"Pleased to meet you," I replied. "I'm Brad, the guy with the eyestalks is Jar Jar, and Padme is the one who can't stop staring at you."

"Padme," Anakin said, rolling the name off his tongue. "Beautiful name. Are you sure you're not an angel?"

"No," Padme replied, finally snapping out of it herself. "I don't have wings."

_Ouch_, I thought to myself. _Shut DOWN._

Anakin took it in stride, seemingly unfazed. "Are you sure? Perhaps you're just hiding them."

"Anyway," I said, interrupting the back-and-forth. "Anakin, how long have you been here?"

"Almost my entire life," he answered.

"What makes you stay on a place like this?" Padme asked.

Anakin hesitated before dodging the question. "I _want_ to get off this world. However, my mother and I aren't able to afford offworld transport."

"Oh. Maybe you and your mom could come with us," Padme said.

Anakin's response was shocking. "It's not that simple; we're both slaves. We _can't _leave, even if we want to."

_Man, this guy has it rough_, I thought. Slavery didn't sound fun. It split the US in half a century and a half ago and pitted the halves against each other in a bloody war.

"That's awful," Padme replied. "Can't the Republic do anything out here?"

"No it can't," I answered. "Tatooine is not a member of the Republic. Unless the Hutts suddenly decided to give this planet over to the Republic, which they wouldn't."

"Oh."

"Anyway, Anakin," I said, hoping to redirect the conversation away from Anakin's status, since it seemed like something he didn't talk about, "Do you think you have the parts we need?"

"We have the parts, you have the credits, we trade."

At that moment Qui-Gon and Watto returned. Padme shot the latter a glare as they passed. Watto didn't seem to notice.

"Come on, children," Qui-Gon said, "We're leaving."

_Aw, man, I was playing Cupid! _

I went to follow Qui-Gon, but Padme stayed behind to say goodbye. "See you soon, maybe?"

"Maybe."

"Come on, Padme," Qui-Gon called. "There's a sandstorm coming; we'd best get back to the ship before it hits."

"Where is your ship?" Anakin asked.

"Outside of town."

"You'll never make it before the storm," Anakin said. "You can stay at my place if you need to."

Before Qui-Gon could object, Padme replied, "If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all; I have friends over all the time. I've plenty of room, and if we leave now," he turned to Watto with a look that said _can I get off early_, "we'll beat the storm."

"Sure, kid. Ya earned it after winnin' last week's race."

Anakin grinned. "Come on, guys; let's go."

Anakin actually had a pretty nice house.

The house was actually an apartment of sorts, with two stories and a balcony. The walls were made out of compacted sand, with pipes running through them, supplying water, heat, power, and keeping the place cool. There weren't any windows, but there were drapes over the spots where the windows would be.

I'd looked around when an older lady appeared. She looked a little surprised to see us.

"Oh, hello," she said. "You must be friends of Ani's."

"Yes, we are, ma'am," I replied. "This is Qui-Gon, Padme, and Jar Jar. I'm Brad."

"Pleased to meet you."

Anakin's mother looked to be in her 40s, with slightly graying hair. She'd barely batted an eyelash when Anakin brought us home. _Anakin must do this all the time, _I thought.

Anakin was eager to show us some of his projects, so Padme and I went with him. As it turned out, Anakin was busy restoring a protocol droid (which he'd named C-3PO), a hovercamera (basically a small drone), and various tools that he used. Some of the tools looked to be too big for the projects he was working on.

"The pod Watto uses in the podraces is out back," Anakin explained. I can show it to you after the sun goes down."

"Podracing?" Padme asked.

_Geez, kid, you need to get out more_. "Podracing is a very fast, dangerous sport. It's illegal in the Republic, but Tatooine is not in the Republic. You must be a good pilot, Anakin; I've not heard of any humans that can podrace."

"I can. I've won a few times too."

"Nice. Watto takes all the credit, I assume?"

"Unfortuantely, yes. However, here in the Slave Quarter, I'm apparently some sort of hero."

"I can imagine. Slaves must not have much to be happy about in their lives. A slave that can win podraces? I'd be impressed, slave or not."

"ANI! Dinner time!" Mrs. Skywalker called.

"Coming, Mom!"

As we sat around the table that night, Qui-Gon gave us the bad news. Apparently, Republic money was no good out here, and there weren't any currency exchanges onworld.

Padme, who was really beginning to worry, asked, "What can we do?"

"Well," Mrs. Skywalker (who insisted we call her Shmi) replied, "you could get jobs around here, but it would take a while to raise the money you need to repair your ship."

Anakin, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, spoke up. "Or, you could bet in the Podrace. There's a big one coming up, the Boonta Eve. The winnings would be more than enough to pay for the ship."

"Okay. Who's the likely winner?" Qui-Gon asked.

"There's two: a Dug named Sebulba, and me. You've got a better chance with me, as there's an underdog bonus; if the racer with the longest odds wins, there's a bonus to them because they beat all the favorites. Plus, Sebulba's a cheat."

"It's dangerous, Anakin," Qui-Gon said.

"I know that," Anakin answered. "I've won my fair share of races. Give me a chance, and I'll prove it."

"Deal," Padme and I spoke in unison, before Qui-Gon could respond.

That night, Qui-Gon was having a comm call with Obi-Wan. I needed to talk to Qui-Gon, so I stepped outside just as he wrapped up.

"How is Obi-Wan doing?"

"He's doing well, Brad," Qui-Gon replied. "The Queen received a transmission from Bibble, asking for the Queen to contact him."

"And?"

"Obi-Wan told her to send no transmissions of any kind."

"Sound tactical advice. Master Jinn, I want to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Anakin is putting his life on the line to give us a chance at returning home. I want to do something for him."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I thought about-" I paused to make sure no one was listening, before continuing in a whisper. "I thought about buying Anakin and Shmi's contract. It's the least we could do."

"Hmm," Thought Qui-Gon. "It is doable. I'll bet against Anakin. That would only up the wager. Plus, if I use the ship as an entry fee, then Watto wins either way. If Anakin wins, Watto could retire, even if he loses Anakin. If he loses, Watto gets a heck of a lot of scrap metal to sell."

"That kind of logic would be hard for a greedy man to pass up. Nice."

"We'll see if he takes the bait. Let's get some rest."

"Goodnight, Master Jinn. And may the Force be with you."

"May it be with all of us. Especially Naboo and Anakin."

I really shouldn't judge people based on first impressions.

My first assessment of Qui-Gon was that he was a rogue. That was true. What was _not _true was that he was arrogant. Qui-Gon is actually confident in his actions.

What brought on this change in my demeanor was the fact that Qui-Gon and Anakin had managed to convince Watto to let the boy race in the Boonta Eve. What followed was a flurry of preparation for the race. Anakin, Padme, Jar Jar, myself, and a few of Anakin's friends all pitched in to get the podracer ready to roll.

The podracer itself was an engineering marvel. Two long engines (which resembled jet engines) were connected via cable to a small pod at the rear. The engines had three yellow prongs each.

The entire thing had been put together with spare parts.

Anakin finished prep the night before the race. He could barely sleep. Neither could any of us. Tomorrow was literally all-or-nothing; the stakes were that high.


End file.
